Process for making foot molds



I Sept. 20,1927. 4 ,930

P. MATHEWSON PROCESS FOR MAKING FOOT MOLDS Filed Sept. 12, 1925 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

orrice.

'IAUL arrnnwson; or NEW YORK, Ni x. d

- PROCESS FQR-JYLAKINGFOOT' MOLDS.'

Application filed :Se'ptcmber It is well known that a great many people havemore ,or lesstrouble with. their feet, due to the great difficulty of obtaining prop.- erly fitting arch supports or :shoes. llhis' difficulty is especially .true \where the :arch supports orshoes-are.ordered by mail even with theelaborate systems of foot measures mentaiowavailable. v

My invention :is intended toovercome this difliculty and enable people to obtain arch supports or shoes which will properly their feet, by making a mold of the foot-, said mold comprising a somewhat elastic flexible .lining, ,such asthe footportion of a stocking, and a hardened coating therefor, such, for instance, I as a wax composition coating; which mold with the. lining'as a part thereof is so cut alongithe instep. that it can be readily removed from the shoe laston which it is made and also from the foot to which it is, shaped, and safely shipped or taken from and to the arch support or shoe manufacturer or dealer, said mold also being provided with means for drawing the mold snugly around the instep of the foot-when the mold has been softened, to procure a proper mold of the. foot as the coating hardens.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 represents the completed mold in perspective.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section showing the method of making the mold on a shoe last. V Fig. 3 represents a transverse section taken in the plane of the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

In making the foot mold the shoe last 1 is covered by a somewhat elastic flexible lining, such, for instance, as the foot portion 2 of a stocking, which stocking foot is then coated with a hardening material denoted by 3, which hardening material 'may be a wax composition which is applied in liquid form and hardens very quickly. This hardening material impregnates and attaches itself to the flexible lining, forming together therewith a mold which closely conforms to the contour of the shoe last. The hardening material which I have found suitable is a composition of paraffin, beeswax, canauba wax and rosin, which composition I find stands up particularly well in shipping the molds in very hotweather.

While the mold is on the shoe last it is cut longitudinally along the instep, as shown at 4, to permit it to be removed from the shoe 12, {1925. Serial No. 56,002.

shaped thereto. I

In ,practice; when it is desired to shape the mold to the wearers foot, the mold is softened, as, for instance, by hot water, sufiicientlyto enable the mold-to be placed upon thelfoot. The mold is then drawn snugly arbund the instep of the foot by suitable devices; 1n the present instance I have shown the flexible lining-as being provided with a series of straps 5 permanently attached to the sflexible lining along one. side of the cut 4, and a corresponding series of buckles (5 permanently attached to the flexible lining along the other side of the cut. 1

The mold is ,then allowed toshape itself last and also from the foot after it has been to the foot and harden thereon with pressure;

applied to the foot, as, for instance, by

standing-[on the footq After the mold is sufficiently hard, the fastening devices 5, 6 are released to permit the mold to be removed from the foot. The mold may then be shipped or taken to the arch support or shoe manufacturer or dealer so that it may 9 be used as a pattern for selecting a properly fitting arch support or shoe.

What I claim is 1. The method of making a foot mold-to be used as a pattern for the selectionof a properly fitting arch support or shoe, which includes the following steps, placing a flexible lining on a shoe last, coating the lining with a hardening material, allowing the mold to harden, cutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and removing it from the last, softening the mold, placing the softened mold on the foot, allowing the mold to harden and removing the foot shaped mold from the foot. I

2. The method of making a. foot mold to be used as a pattern, for the selection of a properly fittingarch support or shoe, which includes the following steps, placing'aflex'h ble lining on a shoe last, coating the lining with a wax composition, allowing the mold to harden, cutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and removing it from the last, softening the mold, placing the softened mold on the foot, allowing the mold to hardproperlyfitting arch support or shoe, which .7

includes the following steps, placinga flexible lining on ashoe last, coating the lining with a lmrdening material, allowing the mold to harden, cutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and removing it from the last, softening the mold, placing the settened mold on the toot, drawing the mold snugly around the instep of the foot by suittllllt devices allowing the mold to hardern releasing said devices and reinoi 'ing the mold from the toot.

4. The method of making a foot mold to he used as a pattern for the selection of a properly fitting arch support or shoe. which includes the following steps. placing a (lexilile lining on a shoe last. coating the liningwith a wax composilioin allowing the mold to harden, eutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and removing it from the last, softening the mold plaeing the sot 'lened mold on the foot. drawing the mold snugly around the instep of the foot lay suitahle devices. allowing the mold to lltll'fflGlL releasing said devices and relnovihg the mold from the foot.

5. The method ot making a foot mold to he used as a pattern For the selection ol a properly fitting arch support or shoe, which includes the ilollowiug steps, placing a flexihle lining on a shoe last, coating the lining with a hardening material, allowing the mold to harden, cutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and removing it from the last, softening the mold, placing the soltoned mold on the foot, drawing the mold snugly around the instep of the foot bysuitable devices allowing the mold to harden with pressure applied to the foot, releasing said devices and removing the mold from the foot.

6. The method of making a foot mold to he used as a pattern for the. selection of a properly lilting arch support or shoe, which includes the following steps, placing a flexilile lining on a shoe last, coating the lining with a War: con'iposition, allowing the mold to harden, cutting the mold longitudinally along the instep and lGll'lOVlIlg it from the last, softening the mold placing the softened mold on the foot, drawing the mold snugly around the instep of the foot by suitable devices, allowing the mold to harden with prose sure applied to the foot, releasing said devices and removing the mold from the foot.

l'n testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my inventioin I have signedlny name this llth day of Septemhen 1925.

PAUL MA'JTH EVVSON. 

